As some of you who have talked to me may know, I don't consider my fursona to be a separate identity. It doesn't have a name other than my own, because it's simply me as an anthropomorphic fox. ShinobiFox and Shinobi are simply a username and a nickname, respectively. And for a time, I was quite content with this. But recently, I've been feeling some kind of gap. Like an empty space, so to speak. It's very hard to explain, but for whatever reason, I've been desiring a name for my fursona. An actual name to go by, rather than a username, a nickname, or my given/human name.
Ironically enough, this desire manifested in me after a particular fur with whom I'm very close shortened Shinobi to 'Nobi in a message to me; a nickname for a nickname for a username. It got me thinking... Why not simply remove the apostrophe and make that into a name? Why not be Nobi the red fox, rather than Hunter, who most furs call Shinobi? Before this, I'd always struggled with the creation of unique names. But I feel almost drawn to this name. I'd never heard the word before, and I don't know if it means anything in any language. I know it's very possible that it does, but I honestly don't think I want to know if it means anything.
I suppose what I'm asking for is opinions. What do you all think? Have you experienced similar struggles with your fursona? In my case, it would still be entirely me, but I would simply be going by another name; something much more original.